These
tiles will cover the fronts of stair risers. Each step represents a
level
of Lopez Island, from the bottom of the bay, up to the beach, the
meadow,
the forest and into the sky. The technique is a variation on cuerda
seca
(dry line) used in the Arts and Crafts style tiles of the early 20th
century.
I tried a traditional mix of oil and mineral pigment for the lines, but
sometimes it flaked off after firing. I am now using a commercial wax
resist
which will let the natural color of the quarry tile show as the line. I
transfer the design to the blank tile using carbon paper. Then I apply
the resist to the line using a small squeeze bottle with a metal tip.
When
that dries, it forms a barrier for the glazes so that each shape can be
filled in without the glazes flowing together. The quail, kid and
bottle
tiles have links to further technical details relevant to those tiles
and
to the project as a whole.
I
use
this page to test new design ideas, so it will change periodically. As
work progresses, the drawings will be replaced with scans
of actual tiles. Last updated 8/22/02.
